Slayer preform with just 2 original members; Araya Says He’s “Excited” To See Jon Dette Drumming For The Band

Last night (February 23rd) at Soundwave 2013 in Brisbane, Australia at the RNA Showgrounds, for the first time in their career, thrash legends SLAYER performed with only two original members on stage – frontman Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King. EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt continues to fill-in for the ailing Jeff Hanneman and a contract dispute with drummer Dave Lombardo saw the band replace him this week with former drummer Jon Dette (also ANTHRAX).

SLAYER frontman Tom Araya has shed more light on the current state of the band which sees EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt continuing to fill-in for the ailing Jeff Hanneman and a contract dispute with drummer Dave Lombardo which saw the band replace him this week with former drummer Jon Dette (also ANTHRAX).

Speaking to Christina Rowatt from Soundwave TV, Araya talked about the status of Hanneman: “He’s had a rough time coming back. I reach out to him all the time and tell him that everybody misses him. I miss him as a band member because he’s such a big focal point in the band. We’re waiting for him to say ‘I’m ready.’ He’s actually working on material for the album which we’ve encouraged him to do.”

Meanwhile, Jon Dette was originally behind the kit for Slayer for three years in the 1990s and is a last-minute replacement for Dave Lombardo.

“He actually played in the band for, like, three years,” says Araya. “It’s gonna be good. He’s matured and I’m sure he’s gotten much better on the drums. It’ll be exciting, and I think that’s just gonna pump everything up even more. I can tell you this: Jon’s gonna have a lot of energy. He’s known to play very fast, and he’s gotten better at that.”

When asked why Dette got the job Araya says: “It was just a name that we pulled out of our hat. It was a huge fucking hat, and it had one name in it. I’m kind of excited because I know it’s going to be good.”

Check out the full interview below:

According to Setlist.fm Slayer performed the following:
‘Disciple’
‘Die By The Sword’
‘War Ensemble’
‘Chemical Warfare’
‘Altar Of Sacrifice’
‘Mandatory Suicide’
‘Seasons In The Abyss’
‘Dead Skin Mask’
‘Angel Of Death’
‘South Of Heaven’
‘Raining Blood’